September 15, 2010
www.gfb.org
Vol. 28 No. 37
PRODUCERS SHARE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE CONCERNS WITH EPA During a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) town hall meeting on Sept. 10, representatives from various agricultural organizations, including Georgia Farm Bureau, questioned U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson about pesticide applications, air quality initiatives and other regulatory issues they say affect their bottom line and in some cases could put them out of business. The meeting, part of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Tour, was held at South Georgia Technical College in Americus and drew stakeholders from agriculture and other industries. GFB Assistant Legislative Director Jeffrey Harvey told Jackson that farmers are concerned that the EPA is out to get them, pointing out that while the United States Department of Agriculture is urging farm owners to maintain small and medium sizes, the burdens of compliance with the regulations the EPA is issuing force them to expand or go out of business. For example, the EPA will finalize in December its final rule for National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for pesticide uses, many of which are already covered by permits under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This represents a departure from 35 years of EPA practice, Harvey said. The agency has never required an NPDES permit for the application of FIFRA-registered crop protection products. Harvey said it is redundant and could cripple emergency pest management efforts, hampering the ability to respond quickly to new pest infestations and increasing the risk of crop losses. Charles Hall of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association expressed concern over delays in EPA decisions, citing an instance where growers needed a ruling on use of a fungicide this spring and still had not received a decision at the time of the town hall meeting. Other speakers raised questions about EPA’s position on greenhouse gas emissions, soil fumigant regulations, the removal of numerous pesticides from use with little or no advance warning and rural dust as it relates to the agency’s air quality standards. “Farming and ranching are a way of life and are businesses that operate on very close margins,” said Edison rancher Ernie Ford, a Calhoun County Farm Bureau member and board member of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association. “We cannot withstand intervention by government or any other entity that will add to our expenses but not our income.” Dr. Steve Brown, assistant dean for Extension with the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, asked for comments on pesticide drift regulations, noting that the regulations targeting droplet size are not the solution to the issue of pesticide drift.